after the army side was knocked out of the CBZ FA Cup at the first hurdle by the Chitungwiza-based Kiglon at Rufaro.
Chogugudza also joins a long list of Premiership coaches who have been fired this season and they include Makoni (Black Rhinos), Nesbert “Yabo” Saruchera (Black Rhinos), Keegan Mumba (Motor Action), Jostein Mathuthu (Lengthens), Gibson Homela (Njube Sundowns) and Paul Moyo (Hwange).
Collin Mahala, a former midfielder at the club as well as coach of Blue Jets another Air Force of Zimbabwe team in Northern Region Division One last year is now the new head coach at Chapungu.
Mahala will be assisted by former Chapungu defender Joseph Michael while former defender Brighton Dzapasi has been roped in as the technical advisor.
Chapungu chairman, Emson Kujinga, said they were hopeful that the new technical department would improve the team’s fortunes, which had dipped in the past two months.
“Chogugudza has been reassigned elsewhere within the Air Force of Zimbabwe and we have assigned new people who are also within the Airforce.
“We are looking at them (the new technical department), harmonising and improving the performance of the team,” said Kujinga.
Kujinga, however said their decision to sack Chogugudza, who was a losing finalist in last year’s inaugural CBZ Cup tournament, was not entirely based on Sunday’s defeat to Kiglon but on a string of other poor results.
Under Chogugudza, Chapungu last won a league match on May 27 when they beat Mwana Africa 3-1 at Ascot three matches since then produced a single draw and a single goal.
They resume their CBZ Premiership campaign in sixth place with 22 points from 15 matches, eight points behind leaders and defending champions Highlanders.
“It is not because we lost to Kiglon but we lost four games and the team was not performing well which prompted us to look for new ideas.
“As the airforce our core business is not football as we have other tasks and people are reassigned elsewhere and we chose others within the airforce who have knowledge of football, so Chogugudza and his assistant Alfonso Mugovera have been reassigned,” said Kujinga.
He added that there were a number of factors, which saw them fail to proceed to the quarter-finals of the CBZ FA Cup.
“There were many reasons that made us not proceed. We lost a number of players due to injury and there was also biased refereeing. It is not like the club has lost their form, which saw us play in last year’s final,” said Kujinga.
He added that they were also looking at acquiring five new players from Division One leagues and some Premiership clubs during the July transfer window period.
The coaching changes at Chapungu might also see the return of players like Maxwell Dube who had been kicked out of the team by Chogugudza.
Unconfirmed reports from the Chapungu camp were that Chogugudza felt that a group of players was sabotaging him so that Dube, a holder of a Level 2 coaching certificate, would take over as coach.
Post published in: Zimbabwe Sports News